Chapter 167

Xiao Yunzhou stayed at Changchun Palace for nearly two hours.

Fruit-infused tea, with five or six types of tribute fruits, was placed in clear tea. Cubes of peach, apple, and tangerine... tender pink and jade yellow, dyed the green tea into a jewel-like translucent color.

Poured into newly blown transparent glass cups, it was a sight to behold.

The aroma of fruit and tea wafted through the air. The taste was refreshing and slightly sweet, even more invigorating and crisp when chilled.

If Xiao Yunzhou wasn't focused on maintaining his health and longevity, he might not have been able to stop drinking.

But in the end, he showed restraint and turned to Concubine Liu and the others, "I find this quite enjoyable. You should all try some too."

He distributed the fruit-infused tea to Cheng Qian and Cheng Shan, and used a small gold spoon to moisten Little Chuchu's lips with some fruit juice.

However, the children's portions were not iced, as Xiao Yunzhou was concerned about their young digestive systems.

In no time, the group had finished all the fruit tea on the table.

Liu Chaniang and Consort Min were still using small gold spoons to scoop out fruit pieces from the glass cups.

Occasionally, they would share a small bite with Chuchu.

"I used to think these tangerines were ordinary, but mixed with the tea fragrance, they're quite good," said Consort Min, who usually didn't enjoy vegetables, but was now falling in love with fruit tea.

"I like the grapes," Cheng Shan had his own preference.

He immediately asked Qiu Li to make him a separate portion, "Just the crystal grapes, nothing else."

[Hehe, just grapes alone, isn't that like the grape cheese tea from HeyTea~] Xiao Chuchu thought to herself, blinking.

[My sixth brother really knows how to enjoy food.]

Xiao Yunzhou listened and gave a rare look of appreciation to his sixth son, "I'd like a portion of just crystal grapes as well."

[When strawberries are in season, I'd like to try the cheese strawberry drink~] Xiao Chuchu pondered.

[Oh, and a peach-only flavor would be nice too~]

Xiao Yunzhou silently noted his daughter's preferences and hurriedly told Qiu Li, "Prepare a separate portion of each of these fruits for me, with milk added."

Milk was good for intelligence, he remembered what his daughter had said.

Usually, drinking milk alone could be cloying and have a gamey taste, but today Xiao Yunzhou felt he could drink it every day.

In no time, Xiao Yunzhou and the others had tried nearly everything on the large square table.

Towards the end, Xiao Chuchu became too lazy to even point at the table.

On the table, some items were ingredients for modern milk tea, while others were creations that Liu Chaniang, Consort Min, and Cheng Shan had requested from the imperial kitchen and tea room, such as crystal dumplings, osmanthus cakes, fermented rice, mung beans, date paste, and longan.

Liu Chaniang and Xiao Yunzhou could hear their daughter's thoughts, so their combinations were more conservative, resembling traditional milk tea.

Cheng Qian was generally indifferent to sweets and stopped after a few cups.

Consort Min and Cheng Shan, however, were insatiable. Seeing that Chuchu was tired, they started experimenting on their own, throwing all sorts of ingredients into the milk tea.

Besides honey and syrup, they even added salt separately...

Surprisingly, it worked out well. "Oh, this salty milk tea is quite good too~"

[Aww, that's called sea salt milk tea!] Xiao Chuchu giggled, forcibly clinging to Consort Min's hand to take a small spoonful.

Cheng Shan was even more adventurous, adding everything the kitchen had sent - red beans, mung beans, job's tears, glutinous rice, taro balls... all into the milk tea.

[Oh, it's become a family reunion milk tea!] Xiao Chuchu watched from the side, thoroughly amused.

After a round or two, everyone had basically grasped the pattern.

Sweet on sweet was hard to go wrong.

Sweet and salty combinations were a bit risky.

"Thank you for the warning, young master! I nearly lost my purse! So the bank is just a scheme by the Jing Country's emperor to swindle the common folk!"

But no sooner had she spoken than a scholar at a nearby table stood up abruptly, his face dark with anger.

"You two young masters, are you scholars from Chu State visiting here?"

"If you're from Chu, how can you make such baseless claims about our Jing Country when you don't understand our situation!"

This blue-robed scholar, with a frightening birthmark on his left temple, was none other than Zheng Qiru.

He was the talented young man with an intelligence score of 99 whom Xiao Chuchu had noticed outside Zhengyang Gate that day.

Xiao Yunzhou had treated him with respect then, deeply moving Zheng Qiru, who had always been insecure about his unsightly appearance. He had decided to devote his life to serving the court.

So now, when Zheng Qiru heard these two handsome Chu scholars accusing the Jing emperor of swindling and speaking ill of the Jing Country's bank, he couldn't contain his indignation and felt compelled to argue.

"Young masters, do you dare to wager that within three days, Chu merchants will willingly conduct transactions at our Jing Country bank?"

The two attractive 'scholars' were taken aback for a moment, but quickly sneered, "Why not? We accept the bet!"

*

In the imperial study.

Xiao Yunzhou set down the memorial about the five hundred cattle and sheep offered by Wu Yun Country. He skipped over the Ministry of Rites and fixed his gaze directly on Jiang Li from the Ministry of Revenue.

Finally, he looked at Manager Liao from the Imperial Kitchen, who had arrived in a state of confusion.

"How embarrassing."

"Ministry of Revenue, Imperial Kitchen!"

Xiao Yunzhou looked up and let out a long sigh, "I'm embarrassed on your behalf."

Jiang Li from the Ministry of Revenue and Manager Liao from the Imperial Kitchen: "...?"

The emperor was having another fit of madness.

Hadn't he just received gifts from the grasslands and enjoyed tea with the little princess? The emperor should be in a good mood, shouldn't he?

They didn't understand. How had they embarrassed him again?

"These five hundred cattle and sheep, as well as the livestock trade brought by the spring market opening - Ministry of Revenue, have you thought about how to handle this large influx of grassland livestock?"

"Imperial Kitchen, the Ministry of Revenue now requires all large expenditures to report project profits and budgets. Do you have any profitable projects planned for this year?"

Both Jiang Li from the Ministry of Revenue and Manager Liao from the Imperial Kitchen were stunned by these questions.

The cattle and sheep had just arrived, so of course they hadn't had time to think about it.

And the Imperial Kitchen had always been responsible for food expenses, with money flowing out for purchases, never any income.

Profitable projects? Were they supposed to start charging the imperial harem for meals?

Both men were at a loss.

Xiao Yunzhou slammed his hand on the table, "I'm too ashamed to even speak of you!"

"???"

"?!"

Xiao Yunzhou wasn't asking a question, but making a statement, "My little princess is only four months old, yet she's already come up with a way to make money from this batch of livestock and a method for the Imperial Kitchen to turn a profit!"

"How old are you? Aren't you ashamed?!"

"..."

"!"

"Listen up, I'm going to open a royal milk tea shop."